Hintz Farm
Matt and Sara Hintz with their son on their farm.
Image Credit: Dan Hagenow Video Creation
Farm Story
Matt Hintz is a first-generation farmer near Amherst, Wisconsin. He began farming in 1997 and today farms with his wife Sara and their son Thomas. They run around 1500 acres of cropland, with 1000 acres in continuous no-till. The farm also utilizes cover crops to help build organic matter and hold soil outside of the growing season. Matt and Sara grow corn, soybeans, sweet corn, rye, peas, alfalfa and grass for cash crops and feed as well as raising 160 Holstein steers and 25 beef cow-calf pairs.
Steps Towards Conservation and Benefits
Matt has always enjoyed crops and cattle and sees farming as a great way to see what he has accomplished. While farming he has always liked to try new things in order to stay on the cutting edge of what is happening in agriculture. The Upper Fox-Wolf Demonstration Farm Network appealed to him as a way to provide opportunities to stay current with new technologies and techniques as well as gain access to new equipment and knowledge.
So far, Matt has trialed a cover crop plot, using 8 seed mixes. He’s also done some interseeding and he’s looking to expand this. With these practices Matt’s building soil structure, has seen an increase in earthworm activity, and had reduced his labor inputs.
Additional Involvement
In addition to farming, Matt also helped launch the Farmers for Tomorrow in February 2018. This farmer led watershed group formed in order to help educate both farmers and local residents about what farm practices are happening in their community as well as what practices should be followed. The hope is to find common ground in the community between producers and consumers. Water quality is a priority for this group and its twelve active members.
